Dutch delegation visits PAU to explore collaborative areas

A two-member delegation of PUM Netherlands Senior Experts visited the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) today to explore the possibilities of collaboration between the two institutions.
The delegation comprising Jacques Eijkens, Country Coordinator India and K R Jain, its India representative, interacted with PAU vice-chancellor Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon and other officials of the University.
Dhillon said a mutual cooperation through collaborative research in addressing the issues of food and nutrition can go a long way.
He said collaborative research is vital for the exposure of scientists.
Dhillon said the two institutions can work in partnership in the areas of floriculture, food processing, net-house cultivation, mushroom cultivation, water management, and farm power and machinery.

PUM Senior Experts (all volunteers) provide business advice and technical assistance to organisations in developing countries and emerging markets, according to its website.

Jain said the PUM Seniors Experts is financially assisted by the Netherlands Government.
"PAU and PUM are closely associated with," he said.
The Government of India and the Netherlands Government have signed a pact for setting-up of 10 Centres of Excellence in various areas of agriculture and PUM experts are involved in it, he informed.
Two Centres of Excellence for potato and floriculture are being established in Punjab in cooperation with the Government of India, Punjab government and the Netherlands government, he said.

"Since Punjab Government has also planned to set-up a Centre of Excellence for Mushrooms and PAU has been entrusted the responsibility for the same, PUM can be of immense help to the university in this direction," he said.
Eijkens said the major aim of PUM is to form clusters of companies and exhort them to think in more innovative way and for the betterment of agriculture.